Jessa N. Goetz

Jessa Nicholson Goetz, age 42, of Middleton, passed away on Tuesday, August 5th, 2025 at her home. She was born October 11th, 1982 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the daughter of Wes and Judy Lutz. She married James Goetz on April 9th, 2016 in Chicago.

Jessa received an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan at only 20 years old, and quickly enrolled at University of Wisconsin Law School. By age 23 she pursued her passion of advocating for the rights of others, as a criminal defense attorney. In Madison, WI she quickly rose to prominence, becoming one of the best and most highly regarded trial attorneys in the state. Jessa was fierce and flamboyant inside the courtroom, but outside the courtroom she was generous and kind, always making time to mentor others. She believed that everyone deserved a defense and was passionate about indigent defense. Jessa also spent a significant portion of her time representing crime victims and worked to advocate for legal reform. One of her proudest accomplishments was working with prosecutors and law enforcement to get legislation on outlawing stalking passed in Oklahoma. Above all else, she believed in giving voice to the voiceless. She was a true champion for the underdog.

Jessa loved the art of storytelling, which showed not only in her professional career, but in her love of literature, poetry, and music. She never ran into a situation that didn’t remind her of an Ani DiFranco or Taylor Swift lyric or couldn’t be summed up with the stanza of a poem. Jessa loved murder mystery games, Animal Crossing, and spending time on the water.

While she had a prolific career with many accomplishments, she always said that what she was most proud of was her family. In 2012, she met her future husband, James. As she so often put it, “We are weirdos who found each other” and they were the loves of each other’s lives. After struggling for years with fertility issues, she had two children, Violet (4) and Jack (2). They were the apples of her eye. A wonderful mother, she loved her children deeply, and enjoyed every moment from birthday celebrations to lazy Sunday cuddles on the couch.

One of Jessa’s favorite musicians once wrote “And I’ll never try to give my life meaning, by demeaning you/ But I would like to state for the record, I did everything that I could do.” This is a fitting way to remember her. In her short time with us, there is no doubt she did everything she could do for so many people. She gave everything she had to her family, friends, and clients. She burned hot and bright, and she is gone too soon. Jessa is survived by her parents, Wes and Judy Lutz, her brother and his family, Jake, Hannah, Eden, and Vincent, as well as her loving husband, James Goetz, and their children, Violet and Jack.

In lieu of flowers, we would ask for a donation to the ACLU of Wisconsin.